Dinky
Dinky Toys are die-cast miniature model cars and trucks. They first appeared in early 1934 when Meccano Ltd of Liverpool introduced a new line of 'modelled miniatures' under the trade mark 'Meccano Dinky Toys'. In the early '50s a Dinky Toys craze hit the UK and it seemed that all boys (and some adults) had collections. Most of the Dinky Toys models were in a scale of approximately 1:48, which blended in with O scale railway sets, but many buses and lorries (trucks) were scaled down further. Larger models (Dinky Super Toys) were not scaled down, and started to have more action features. Notable favourites are the Coles Mobile Crane and the Horse Box (with opening doors).
In 1954, the Dinky Toys line was reorganised: cars were now sold in individual boxes, and there were no series of models differentiated by a letter. The post-war cars are all but indestructible, although the tires disintegrate with age and the paint chips. Pre-war Dinky Toys vehicles used a weaker alloy and can suffer from metal-fatigue, and thus models from the '30s in good condition are particularly rare and sought after.
|
